RIGA — Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis is halting a planned overhaul of the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau, saying it would lead to wasteful spending at the country’s top anti-corruption agency.

The reform, initiated by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau Chief Normunds Vilnītis, would divide bureau agents into regional divisions that would concentrate on data collection and analysis of their particular area, with each reporting directly to [private_supervisor]Vilnītis instead of to a subordinate deputy.

Dombrovskis signed a resolution Thursday ordering the Vilnītis’ structural reforms stopped and any already implemented to be undone.

“(It will) withdraw all hitherto done reorganization, to return to the situation at the bureau structure,” Līga Krapāne, the prime minister’s press spokeswoman, told the Diena newspaper.

The prime minister’s move comes amid criticism of Vilnītis’ proposed changes from Delna, Transparency International’s Latvian branch and apparently from within the bureau itself.

“Changes in the structure can be used as a pretext to get rid of unwanted employees and … weaken the bureau’s work in combating corruption,” Laura Miķelsone, Delna director said in a press release.

Meanwhile a letter allegedly written by bureau employees has been published in the Latvian press, without releasing the employees’ names, saying that Vilnītis’ motives in implementing the changes should not be trusted.

Vilnītis downplayed the letter’s significance.

“I think that it is not sent by all employees, but only for certain employees. In principle, it is bizarre, of course,” Vilnītis said in a written statement emailed to the Latvian media. “It is turning into a farce, which is why I need to respond publicly.”

Anti-corruption forces embattled

Given the high level of corruption and crony capitalism in Latvian politics, the bureau has been the cause of political battles in the past.

Aigars Kalvītis was forced to resign from the prime minister’s office in 2007 after his dismissal of then-bureau chief Aleksejs Loskutovs after his investigation of the “Jūrmalgeitas” scandal cost Ainārs Šlesers his transport minister post and also implicated former Prime Minister Andris Šķēle and businessman Germans Milušs in the bribery of Jūrmala city council members in exchange for supporting the mayoral candidacy of Juris Hlevickis, a Latvia’s First Party member. Both Šķēle and Kalvītis are in the People’s Party.

The general prosecutor’s post has not been free from similar conflicts, either. The reinstatement of General Prosecutor Jānis Maizītis was blocked in April under a secret Seaima ballot after his corruption investigation of Ventspils Mayor Aivars Lembergs resulted in a one-year jail sentence. The Lembergs-controlled Greens and Farmers Union was the most hostile to a third term for Maizītis and grilled him with the most questions prior to the vote.

— Baltic Reports reporter James Dahl contributed to this article. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]Vilnītis instead of to a subordinate deputy.

Dombrovskis signed a resolution Thursday ordering the Vilnītis’ structural reforms stopped and any already implemented to be undone.

“(It will) withdraw all hitherto done reorganization, to return to the situation at the bureau structure,” Līga Krapāne, the prime minister’s press spokeswoman, told the Diena newspaper.

The prime minister’s move comes amid criticism of Vilnītis’ proposed changes from Delna, Transparency International’s Latvian branch and apparently from within the bureau itself.

“Changes in the structure can be used as a pretext to get rid of unwanted employees and … weaken the bureau’s work in combating corruption,” Laura Miķelsone, Delna director said in a press release.

Meanwhile a letter allegedly written by bureau employees has been published in the Latvian press, without releasing the employees’ names, saying that Vilnītis’ motives in implementing the changes should not be trusted.

Vilnītis downplayed the letter’s significance.

“I think that it is not sent by all employees, but only for certain employees. In principle, it is bizarre, of course,” Vilnītis said in a written statement emailed to the Latvian media. “It is turning into a farce, which is why I need to respond publicly.”

Anti-corruption forces embattled

Given the high level of corruption and crony capitalism in Latvian politics, the bureau has been the cause of political battles in the past.

Aigars Kalvītis was forced to resign from the prime minister’s office in 2007 after his dismissal of then-bureau chief Aleksejs Loskutovs after his investigation of the “Jūrmalgeitas” scandal cost Ainārs Šlesers his transport minister post and also implicated former Prime Minister Andris Šķēle and businessman Germans Milušs in the bribery of Jūrmala city council members in exchange for supporting the mayoral candidacy of Juris Hlevickis, a Latvia’s First Party member. Both Šķēle and Kalvītis are in the People’s Party.

The general prosecutor’s post has not been free from similar conflicts, either. The reinstatement of General Prosecutor Jānis Maizītis was blocked in April under a secret Seaima ballot after his corruption investigation of Ventspils Mayor Aivars Lembergs resulted in a one-year jail sentence. The Lembergs-controlled Greens and Farmers Union was the most hostile to a third term for Maizītis and grilled him with the most questions prior to the vote.

— Baltic Reports reporter James Dahl contributed to this article. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]Vilnītis instead of to a subordinate deputy.

Dombrovskis signed a resolution Thursday ordering the Vilnītis’ structural reforms stopped and any already implemented to be undone.

“(It will) withdraw all hitherto done reorganization, to return to the situation at the bureau structure,” Līga Krapāne, the prime minister’s press spokeswoman, told the Diena newspaper.

The prime minister’s move comes amid criticism of Vilnītis’ proposed changes from Delna, Transparency International’s Latvian branch and apparently from within the bureau itself.

“Changes in the structure can be used as a pretext to get rid of unwanted employees and … weaken the bureau’s work in combating corruption,” Laura Miķelsone, Delna director said in a press release.

Meanwhile a letter allegedly written by bureau employees has been published in the Latvian press, without releasing the employees’ names, saying that Vilnītis’ motives in implementing the changes should not be trusted.

Vilnītis downplayed the letter’s significance.

“I think that it is not sent by all employees, but only for certain employees. In principle, it is bizarre, of course,” Vilnītis said in a written statement emailed to the Latvian media. “It is turning into a farce, which is why I need to respond publicly.”

Anti-corruption forces embattled

Given the high level of corruption and crony capitalism in Latvian politics, the bureau has been the cause of political battles in the past.

Aigars Kalvītis was forced to resign from the prime minister’s office in 2007 after his dismissal of then-bureau chief Aleksejs Loskutovs after his investigation of the “Jūrmalgeitas” scandal cost Ainārs Šlesers his transport minister post and also implicated former Prime Minister Andris Šķēle and businessman Germans Milušs in the bribery of Jūrmala city council members in exchange for supporting the mayoral candidacy of Juris Hlevickis, a Latvia’s First Party member. Both Šķēle and Kalvītis are in the People’s Party.

The general prosecutor’s post has not been free from similar conflicts, either. The reinstatement of General Prosecutor Jānis Maizītis was blocked in April under a secret Seaima ballot after his corruption investigation of Ventspils Mayor Aivars Lembergs resulted in a one-year jail sentence. The Lembergs-controlled Greens and Farmers Union was the most hostile to a third term for Maizītis and grilled him with the most questions prior to the vote.

— Baltic Reports reporter James Dahl contributed to this article. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]Vilnītis instead of to a subordinate deputy.

Dombrovskis signed a resolution Thursday ordering the Vilnītis’ structural reforms stopped and any already implemented to be undone.

“(It will) withdraw all hitherto done reorganization, to return to the situation at the bureau structure,” Līga Krapāne, the prime minister’s press spokeswoman, told the Diena newspaper.

The prime minister’s move comes amid criticism of Vilnītis’ proposed changes from Delna, Transparency International’s Latvian branch and apparently from within the bureau itself.

“Changes in the structure can be used as a pretext to get rid of unwanted employees and … weaken the bureau’s work in combating corruption,” Laura Miķelsone, Delna director said in a press release.

Meanwhile a letter allegedly written by bureau employees has been published in the Latvian press, without releasing the employees’ names, saying that Vilnītis’ motives in implementing the changes should not be trusted.

Vilnītis downplayed the letter’s significance.

“I think that it is not sent by all employees, but only for certain employees. In principle, it is bizarre, of course,” Vilnītis said in a written statement emailed to the Latvian media. “It is turning into a farce, which is why I need to respond publicly.”

Anti-corruption forces embattled

Given the high level of corruption and crony capitalism in Latvian politics, the bureau has been the cause of political battles in the past.

Aigars Kalvītis was forced to resign from the prime minister’s office in 2007 after his dismissal of then-bureau chief Aleksejs Loskutovs after his investigation of the “Jūrmalgeitas” scandal cost Ainārs Šlesers his transport minister post and also implicated former Prime Minister Andris Šķēle and businessman Germans Milušs in the bribery of Jūrmala city council members in exchange for supporting the mayoral candidacy of Juris Hlevickis, a Latvia’s First Party member. Both Šķēle and Kalvītis are in the People’s Party.

The general prosecutor’s post has not been free from similar conflicts, either. The reinstatement of General Prosecutor Jānis Maizītis was blocked in April under a secret Seaima ballot after his corruption investigation of Ventspils Mayor Aivars Lembergs resulted in a one-year jail sentence. The Lembergs-controlled Greens and Farmers Union was the most hostile to a third term for Maizītis and grilled him with the most questions prior to the vote.

— Baltic Reports reporter James Dahl contributed to this article. [/private_subscription 1 year]

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